Expect Rekeem Harper to be near the head of the queue if tomorrow night’s Papa John’s Trophy clash with Colchester at Portman Road requires a penalty shootout to decide the outcome.

It may not be every player’s cup of tea but the former West Bromwich Albion midfielder insists he will be quick to volunteer his services if a spot-kick finale is needed to separate the sides.

Harper said: “I’ve got a little saying — pressure makes diamonds — so why not challenge yourself in those moments? Of course I would step up. Throughout my time in the academy at West Brom I took penalties but I haven’t been in that sort of position before in the professional games I’ve played in.

“When West Brom were in the play-offs two years ago against Aston Villa [May 2019] there was a penalty shootout and I was next in line to take one before we missed and that took Villa through. I always want to step up and challenge myself in those moments — as far as I’m concerned that’s what football is all about.”

Former England U17 and U19 international Harper, a regular starter at the beginning of the season, understands precisely what the Papa John’s Trophy has to offer and added: “We want to do as well as possible in the competition.

“It provides us with a chance to get minutes in, show the manager what we can do and why we deserve to be in and around the team. I just see it as an opportunity and you never really know when they will come around in football.”

Asked if he felt under pressure to perform, he replied: “I wouldn’t say I feel the pressure. I see it as 90 minutes and a chance to perform and be myself. You obviously want to do well but you don’t want to put so much pressure on yourself that you don’t do what comes naturally.

“For me it’s another game and an opportunity to prove things to myself, and I’m sure everyone else around me will be feeling the same. We need to focus first on getting a result and everything else will take care of itself.”

Harper, who was 12 when he joined the Baggies’ academy, made his senior debut as a second-half substitute in their 1-0 win over Bournemouth in August 2017 and in doing so became only the second Premier League player to have been born in the 21st century.

In a matter of days he signed his first professional deal in the shape of a two-year contract and when that expired he was awarded another for a further period of three years.

But despite the fact that he is not a first-choice midfielder at present he still believes he is a better player now than when he moved from the Hawthorns in August, which he has attributed to the club’s new-look coaching and fitness set-up assembled under the current Portman Road ownership.

Harper explained: “Physically, the sessions here are a lot more demanding than they were at West Brom and I feel I’m benefiting from that. At my previous club it was purely possession and tactical work but here the focus is on being fit, first and foremost.

“That leads to shape work and possession, while there’s always a lot of running involved, so it’s like mentally training yourself to get through it and pushing yourself to keep improving.

“To be fair, when it comes to the weekends and match days, you can see how we keep going until the very end. From that bit of work we’ve been putting in, getting the extra miles, we’ve got quite a few results this season.”

He is also benefiting by making the most of his place on the bench, adding: “I’ve learned quite a lot from watching Lee and Sam, like the way they stay disciplined in the centre of the park, how they take the game by the scruff of the neck and how everything seems to go through them in midfield.

“It’s good to see that and then, if I’m in the team, I can take all that on board and add my own little attributes to it as well. It’s a good learning experience.

“Being the person I am, and having the personality I have, I still have a laugh and a joke when I’m sitting on the bench. But it’s also important that you tune into the game so that if you do come on you can make an impact.

“I watch the players in my position to see what they’re doing, what’s working for them and what I could bring — something different — to the game. If you get on you want to enjoy the experience but the most important thing is to come on and make an impact, which is what I’ve done when I’ve been in that situation.”

Photo: TWTD

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